Wednesday, May 28, 2008

OPÉRA CAKE - DARING BAKERS

As it is the case at the end of each month, time has now come for me to once again blog about my recent "Daring Bakers" challenge taking and my experimentations as a member of this expanding community of passionate bakers... May's recipe was very promising as well as intriguing, but it held it's promises and turned out fantastically well!

All four have dedicated this challenge to the courageous Barbara of "Winosandfoodies". While Barbara is no longer an active member of the "Daring Bakers", but who will always be an honourary Daring Baker for her bravery and character in the face of a challenge. As many of you may know Barbara is the force behind the food blog event called A Taste of Yellow that supports the LiveSTRONG foundation started by Lance Armstrong. This year's LiveStrong Day is in May so they decided that we could show our support by dedicating our respective challenge posts to Barbara...

Needless to say that, as usual, I was very stressed by the nature of this challenge and intimidated by the sheer length of the recipe. I thought to myself, "My Oh my, how on earth am I going to be able to bake that in my small kitchen when I drastically lack pans or meterial (I had only one jelly-roll pan and had to bake one joconde after another) and without cursing a whole load, getting too irritated, impatient and acting like a mad fury because of all the above-mentioned points?". At this stage, I felt totally demoralized and slightly panicky. I was ready to throw the towel...

Thankfully, I finally bucked up, decided to not be a chicken and not to get impressed by the task that lay in front of me. It was going to be tough, but I was going to fight and not let anything get into my way. I was determined to bake that cake no matter what it took. After all, aren't I a Daring Baker?!

Surprisingly, I came across no major problem while making that "Opéra Cake". It was a very time-consuming and finicky challenge, but, ultimately, it wasn't difficult at all. In fact, one just has to be very organized, to be in possession of the convenient material/ustensils/kitchen or to be inventive when the material/ustensils/kitchen aren't very appropriate, and to have a zen attitude during the creation of that cake. That's all!

I was (and still am) very pleased with my creation as it tasted perfect and it looked quite pretty. As a mater of fact, I'm really proud of myself for being able to go through such a fastidious process and for being capable of baking such an elaborate cake! Before joining the "Daring Bakers", I never trusted myself to have the capacity to take such audacious and enterprising challenges. Now, I know that I am a good and courageous enough baker who hasthe ability to face the difficulties. It is my 8th month as a Daring Baker and my skills never stop getting better as, every time, I gain more confidence in myself and get more experienced!

I made my cake by scrupulously following the rules, but, as we had the possibility to use another recipe for the buttercream, I decided to make it Dorie Greenspan's way (see her "Perfect Party Cake" recipe). Otherwise, I chose to give my "Opéra Cake" a subtle, orangy, exotic and spicy/tangy smack that would be reminiscent of the flavors of North Africa. I wanted my cake to be in the Moroccan spirit. So, I added some orange zest to the joconde batter, mixed some ground Indonesian long pepper and chopped Australian candied ginger into the buttercream, aromatised the syrup with some orange blossom water and honey, andaromatized the white chocolate mousse with whisky which I thought would pair well with the other ingredients.

My "Opéra Cake" was a real success. The combination of allthose delicate, refined, fresh and spring-like flavors was perfect and interesting. This cake wasn't too sweet nor too sickly or heavy, although it was a deadly calorie bomb, the perfect artery-clogging ally . It was unexpectedly "light" texture- as well as taste-wise and didn't make you squeamish you after a slice or two... Absolutely gorgeous!

Thanks to Lis, Ivonne, Fran and Shea for having chosen that killer recipe!!!

What you’ll need:2x 31x39 cm (12½ x15½-inch) Jelly-roll pansA few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list)A brush (to grease the pans)Parchment paperA whisk and a paddle attachment for a stand mixer or for a handheld mixer2 Mixing bowls

Method for the "Joconde": 1. Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.2. Preheat the oven to 220◦C (425° F).3. Line two 31x39cm (12 1/2 x15 1/2 inch) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.5. If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.6. Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).7. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.8. Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.9. Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.10. Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

Remarks:If you do not have jelly-roll pans of the size requested, do not fear! You can use different-sized jelly-roll pans like 26x38 cm (10 x 15-inches).If you do not want to use almond meal, you can use another nut meal like hazelnut. You can buy almond meal in bulk food stores or health food stores, or you can make it at home by grinding almonds in the food processor with a tablespoon or two of the flour that you would use in the cake. The reason you need the flour is to prevent the almonds from turning oily or pasty in the processor. You will need about 2 cups of blanched almonds to create enough almond meal for this cake.I flavored my joconde with the grated zest of 1- 1 1/2 orange.The joconde can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept wrapped at room temperate.

Method for the "Buttercream":1. Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.2. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (124◦C) on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.3. While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.

4. When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!5. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).6. While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.7. With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.8. At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.9. Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

Remarks:If you are flavouring your buttercream and do not want to use the vanilla, you do not have to. Vanilla will often enhance other flavours but if you want an intense, one-flavoured buttercream, then by all means leave it out!I made Dorie Greenspan's buttercream (see her "Perfect Party Cake" recipe) and flavored it with 1/4 orange juice, 2 1/2 tablespoons ground (mortar & pestle) long pepper and 5 tablespoons chopped candied ginger.The buttercream can be made up to 1 month in advance and packed in an airtight container. If made way in advance, you can freeze the buttercream. Alternatively you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days after making it. To use the buttercream simply bring it to room temperature and then beat it briefly to restore its consistency.

Method for the "White Chocolate Ganache/Mousse:1. Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.2. Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool completely.3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.5. If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.6.If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

Remarks:I added 1 1/2 tablespoons whisky to my mousse.The mousse can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.

Method for the "Glaze":1. Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.2. Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.3. Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Remarks:It’s best to make the glaze right when you’re ready to finish the cake.

Assembling the Opéra Cake.

I. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.II. Working with one sheet of cake at a time, cut and trim each sheet so that you have two pieces (from each cake so you’ll have four pieces in total): one 10-inch (25-cm) square and one 25x12 1/2 cm (10x5 inch) rectangle.III. Step A (if using buttercream only and not making the ganache/mousse):

Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.

Spread about one-third of the buttercream over this layer.

Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.

Spread another third of the buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde (use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde).

Spread the remaining buttercream on top of the final layer of joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).

IV. Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. V. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.V. Serve the cake slightly chilled.

III. Step B (if making the ganache/mousse):

Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.

Spread about three-quarters of the buttercream over this layer.

Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.

Spread the remaining buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).

IV. Prepare the ganache/mousse (if you haven’t already) and then spread it on the top of the last layer of the joconde.Refrigerate for at least two to three hours to give the ganache/mousse the opportunity to firm up.V. Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.VI. Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.

Remarks:The finished cake should be served slightly chilled.It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 day, but is better eaten within 1-2 days.

Yes, I completely agree with you; I also wouldn't have dared to make such a fancy cake if it wasn't for Daring Bakers :) hehe. It's my first month as a DB, and I'm so glad I joined. I love the combo of ingredients you used, very warm and yummy :).

OOOOOH - I absolutely LOVE your flavor combo, it sounds amazing! And your cake is so, so pretty - as a fellow small-kitchen baker, I can appreciate what you went through to make your cake so lovely! Congrats!

Even with your lack of pans, I think it turned out beautifully. You can tell that you put so much effort and time into it. It really shows. Congratulations! The ingredients you chose sounds amazing, something I would never have fathomed to combine together.

I was very intimidated with this recipe, but I found being organized helped. I agree, not difficult, but time consuming. Your cake looks beautiful! I love the orange and candied ginger idea, I just know it tastes fab!

Outstanding combination of flavors. They sound as lovely as I bet they taste. The decoration sprinkled across the top is just the right touch, too. I agree, though. Time-consuming and finnicky ;) So fun, too!